NPL’s Mabvuto Banda resigns

Five years after steering Lilongwe’s Editorial Department to success, Nation Publications Limited (NPL) bureau chief for the Central Region Mabvuto Banda has resigned.

His voluntary resignation effective August 3, comes after he took the bureau to what staff said were greater heights that saw several reporters under his jurisdiction winning media awards.

“I am going into full-time international news freelancing for channels such as Reuters, IPS and soon France24 for the whole southern Africa. Apart from that, I am also moving into SMS aggregation and mobile news,” said Banda in an interview after a farewell party on Friday.

“I am and have always been a journalist and so despite trying to concentrate on a new beat altogether, I am still part of the Malawi media fraternity,” he added.

Banda, who said he remains indebted to NPL family, advised up-and-coming journalists to always endeavour to write the truth and verify facts.

“The sky is the limit for NPL as it has hardworking editorial staff with some of the best journalists in town and I am happy I was part of that. My advice to colleagues both within and outside NPL is remain truthful and you will be better journalists,” he said.

With a career spanning over 20 years, Banda launched his profession in Zambia in the early 90s. He then moved to Malawi where he worked with The Democrat in 1995 before joining Blantyre Newspapers Limited as chief reporter.

While there, he started the investigative desk before having a break and taking up a job at NPL.

Banda left briefly to concentrate on his freelancing job, before rejoining NPL in 2007.